Before going forth to the story, I, Ally, the author, would like to ask you, to forgive me, for the lengthy notes that I provide with this post. Please, don't be too angry. And Thank You all for reading, guests or otherwise, I care not. You are very welcome here! Thank You again!

A.'s N: To the wonderful reviewers (and other awesome readers):

First, can you please elaborate more on the story being like a summary, so that I can avoid doing it the next chapters?

Second, so if you remember, Love is not only forbidden, it is not present in this world. Nobody knows what love is. Just read Ch4 once again, the one after the Assembly. When the sisters go for a walk together, the Elders come and make sure that no Love is being created between them. Even between sisters, there is no Love. They just care for each other a lot and are very close.

Regarding what Bingley did, he initially spoke to her quietly, though it was not in some place away from the crowd like you said. He did not want to make a scene and did not. But when Caroline disrespected his neighbours, he could not be silent for long. The reason he left her behind was the fact that she was not showing the hosts and any of the members of the village, for that matter, any respect by being so late. Plus, he had put up with his sister for a long time, so it all came out like that.

I hope this clears up some things for you (-:(-:(-:(-: and please let me know what about the format of the story you did not like, so that I can try to avoid it in the future chapters.

Thank you for reading! (-:

-Anny


Chapter 6

Lexell had been very close, for he had been making sure Phoebe's altars were ready for the 500-year celebration the Elders had planned. It was very simple, very private for the Elders. Very precious. But as soon as he more felt than heard the word, he stopped mid-air. His head snapped towards the source.

Like a hunter he followed it, his senses going mad. Lexell was joined by two others. Without a single word they arrived to look at the culprits. To observe them and guard them even.

With the arrival of Elders to the town, however unnoticed this by itself may have gone, came a palpable change in the atmosphere. To mere humans, this felt like a powerful gust of wind that carried tension within, bad mood, negativity. Their surroundings thickened with the ancient presence.

Sisters snapped at each other, brothers took to fists. Children threw tantrums in front of their parents and elders enclosed themselves into their old shells. Workers threw away their work or stopped paying attention enough to stab their fingers with a needle, while the ones at leisure stood up and walked away from their tasks, letting the doors smash closed behind them. Completely justified actions were being thought about guiltily. Good ideas were torn in fits of pique.

And this all because of the attention of three Elders, who had stomped their way through the air to this shire. Thankfully, the longer they stayed, the more the atmospheric pressure dispersed. Allowing people to breathe normally, even peacefully.

I have not been surprised when I was visited by one of these beings myself, but Lexell's looking amongst my pages – the Pages of Fate, made me uncomfortable. He did not see all that has come to pass, but he became angry still.

Since Phoebe's Elder powers died, they have all become bitter, unhuman, sometimes even cruel and vicious. The Elders' open-mindedness as if never existed.

Lexell's voice sounded like thunder to his two companions but was heard only as the wind by the humans below.

"We have been summoned. Some worm was very close to having used the Forbidden Word. We must take care, lest this rebellion rises against us."

And so, Lexell set his jaw proudly and menacingly, looked down upon Earth and frowned. Humans always made a mess of everything. His remembrance of Phoebe, who had been his friend before – before a Human took everything from her, stopped him from exploding in anger.

The memory, meanwhile, the corpse of what has once been a smiling face of the Elderess Phoebe, stood in its home of clouds. She was no longer. She was just "it", a shadow in the sky. Even without her powers she saw all, she saw Lexell and the world beneath. She remembered what had happened five hundred years ago, she knew – she had been there. She was an empty shell now. And it closed its dead eyes for a millisecond, wishing for all and nothing. And for an even briefer moment, it conjured up a small sad smile on its face.


Before I tell you more, let me tell you this: Phoebe did not want the Curse. She did it in her rage but did not expect things to go this far. And then as time passed, the Elders became controlling. In fifty years, they went from being the Guardians of the People, to tyrants. She begged me to help her lift the Curse. I have tried to for the past four hundred and fifty years but have not been successful. You see, I am just the catalyst who picked the wrong reactions to help her. But this time, it seems like things might work out. It looks like Phoebe's wait is over…


Darcy had not been able to sleep well. He could not get Elizabeth's face out of his mind. Her smile, her beautiful voice when she sang. He had been awake for a long time, and when he finally fell asleep, she came in his dreams.

He woke up and decided to go for a ride to clear his head.

He went to the stables to find the groom had already kept his horse ready for him. He smiled and thanked the groom as he handed the reins to him and slipped him a coin. The poor man had to wake up before dawn so that Darcy could go for a ride, and he was grateful to him.

He mounted his horse and set off, enjoying the wind rushing past him. Without realising that he was going there, he headed in the direction of Oakham Mount, to Phoebe's Altar. There, he came upon the object of his dreams, sitting on her head tilted up, and a small smile on her face. He thought she looked perfect. He slowly got off his horse, not wanting to disturb her. But there was a twig that snapped when he stepped on it, and she quickly turned her head in his direction.


Hearing a twig snap, Elizabeth turned her head, only to see Mr. Darcy standing at a small distance, looking gorgeous, with his windswept hair falling in his face.

"Good morning Miss Bennet!" he said, walking towards her, holding the reins of his horse in his hand.

"Good morning Mr. Darcy." she replied with a smile. "I did not hear you come."

"I did not want to disturb you and so got off slowly, but the twig betrayed me. I am sorry for disturbing you." he said, standing before her now.

"Disturb me you did, but it was not unwelcome." She shifted to her left, and patted the space beside her, indicating for him to join her. He sat down, and she turned to look at the Sun that was just visible over the horizon.

"It is beautiful." he said, looking at her. She turned to look at him.

"It is. That is why I come here every morning. Everything feels so fresh and clear. And so quiet."

"I ride every morning before dawn. For the reasons you said. It feels so pure, the air so nice and cool."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit.

"Your song was beautiful." he said sincerely.

"Thank you." she replied quietly. She was quiet for a few moments before continuing, "My sisters and I learned together. All five of us can play and sing. But only Lydia and I enjoy writing songs."

"I have never heard anything like it before." She thanked him again.

"My cousin is in the Army." he said. "I worry for him, constantly. He is like my brother." He closed his eyes, obviously upset and worried.

"He will be safe." she said warmly.

"We have always been close. He was there with me when my Mother passed away. He and I share my sister Georgiana's guardianship." When she looked confused, he added, "My father passed away a few years ago." His eyes looked moist.

"I am so sorry." she said, her heart breaking for the two siblings, who lost their parents so soon.

"We tried our best for Georgiana, but we failed her." he said, a tear escaping his eye as he thought of how he nearly lost his sister to Wickham.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, while he shook a bit as he cried more. She wanted to know what had happened, but could not ask him, especially when he was so upset about it. She patiently held him and waited for him to feel better. Then he slowly withdrew, but kept his eyes fixed on her, a strange look in his eyes.

She looked back at him and felt like she had when they danced. She felt like everything else disappeared and only both of them were left. Suddenly, his horse neighed, and they both broke apart, looking away.

"So," she said in a higher voice, "what is your horse called?"

"Aslan."

She took out an apple from her pocket, and went to the horse, who took it after a hesitating a moment. Darcy looked on in amazement.

"He must like you a lot Miss Bennet."

"And why is that?"

"He never takes anything from somebody new." The horse neighed at that, as if voicing his agreement. She laughed at that.

"Thank you, Aslan." she said, stroking his mane. She took a look at where the Sun had reached, and exclaimed, "I must be off now, or I will be late."

"I hope I will see you soon Miss Bennet." he said as he took her and kissed it. She coloured before saying the same. "Thank you." he said before releasing her hand.

She looked at him for a moment, and then with a small smile, turned around and headed back to Longbourn. She half ran and when she turned back, she saw him looking at her. Then she picked up her pace and ran back home.


A.'s N 2:

It has further come to my attention, that maybe the idea of No Love in a world is hard to explain. There's kindness and all other good and bad emotions, but there simply isn't Love. And I personally do not think a world can work like that. People would be too fickle, too moody, too lost in not having a single anchor of Love to show them their real homes.

Sometimes, in writing, I am a single person. At other times, I am these two parts – one, a happy one, bursting with energy and positivity, with talking, with kindness that makes it so my characters forget about there not being any Love… and the second part, a much more sober one, one that would not be able to live in a world of No Love at all for she'd be torn right inside her heart, she'd be no one, she'd be lost,… and so she tries to show this madness of lack of Love through the wild gardens near Meryton that are not tended to, through the fear which seems nonsensical that the Misses Bennet have of the Meryton populace…

One part cannot do this without the other.

To explain "Love being forbidden" … Love no longer exists in this world. It has been five long centuries since the curse descended upon it, and now, Love exists in stories only. Old ones, forgotten. But, even without Love, the world must cope. Goodness must prevail. Otherwise, what would happen to the world? What…?

Let there shine light upon the answers.

-Alny